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A Response to Charlottesville

Visiting our nation’s capital is an easy day trip for us, and how I chose to spend a precious vacation day this week. I took pride in explaining the buildings and icons of my country to my children. I am proud to be an American. But today, I am not proud. Today, I weep.Four days ago, I saw the beautiful, infamous words “We the People” with my own eyes for the first time. Four days later, I am reminded of how far we still have to go to fully live into those words:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.What has happened 63 miles from my home, in Jefferson’s beautifully-domed, colonnaded city, is far from perfect, just, or tranquil.This is not what our founding fathers wanted for our country, nor is it what our Father wants for his people.What I want is for the Father’s kingdom to come, his will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven.I want his kingdom of righteousness—right living, right relationships, right choicesto come.I want his kingdom of peace and joy to come.I want his kingdom of power—just, almighty powerto come.I want his kingdom that cannot be shaken—not by hate, nor by fear, not by men, nor by movementsto come.I want his kingdom to be near, to be at hand, to be close.I want his will to be done—here,now,on earth, as it is in heaven.Amen.